Magnetic pressure ($p_B$)

Magnetic pressure is the isotropic part of magnetic stress. It is $p_B=B^2/(2{\mu }_0)$ in SI units and $B^2/(8\pi )$ in Gaussian units.

Two uniform horizontal magnetic fields on either side of a horizontal interface exert no bulk force, but their magnetic pressures differ. For a common-temperature isothermal atmosphere with sound-speed squared $c_T^2=\mathcal{R}{T}_0$ and gravity $g$, hydrostatic equilibrium gives $p_i=c_T^2{\rho }_i$ and $p_i(z)=p_i(0)e^{-z/H}$, $H=c_T^2/g$. Continuity of magnetohydrodynamic total pressure gives the displayed density jump. A stronger field below means denser gas above, supplying a Rayleigh-Taylor instability even though each half-space is hydrostatic.

// Target: continuum-mechanics.bigb

The magnetohydrodynamic total pressure is $\Pi =p+B^2/(2{\mu }_0)$, the sum of gas pressure and magnetic pressure. The remaining Lorentz force is magnetic tension, so this scalar does not include the entire magnetic stress.